Tulane opens week with two practices

NEW ORLEANS - Tulane’s football team began the third and final week of fall camp Monday with a pair of practices to prepare for the upcoming season that gets under way Sept. 3 against Southeastern Louisiana in the Louisiana Superdome.

The day began with a 24-period practice at the Saints Practice Facility in full pads.

“It went well in the Saints facility this working. We actually ended early because the tempo was so good,” Tulane coach Bob Toledo said. “We went through our script and finished one period ahead of time. There has been pretty good focus, pretty good attention to detail and pretty good effort. Now we are starting to get a couple players back; and hopefully in another week, week and a half, we will be ready to go.”

The Green Wave spent the afternoon practice outside at the Westfeldt Facility for 18 periods of work in shells and began to turn some attention to SLU.

“We have started a little bit on (Southeastern Louisiana),” Toledo said. “I don’t like to do a whole bunch this early because you can kind of get stale, but you have to do enough to whet their appetite.”

Eastern Washington, which was No. 1 year ago, again is ranked the top team.

Others in the top 10 in order are Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, William & Mary, Delaware, Montana State, Northern Iowa, Wofford, Jacksonville State and New Hampshire.

Stephen F. Austin, the defending Southland Conference champion, was the top ranked league school at No. 14. Central Arkansas ranked 22nd.

McNeese State was 6-5 last year and finished second in the conference.

Grambling State and Northwestern State also received votes but did not crack the Top 25.

ULM

MISSOURI TRANSFER JOINS WARHAWKS: University of Louisiana at Monroe coach Todd Berry announced Monday that defensive tackle Gerrand Johnson has transferred to ULM from the University of Missouri and will begin practicing with the Warhawks immediately. Johnson will have to sit out the 2011 season because of NCAA transfer rules.

Johnson was a three-time all-district and two-time all-Northeast Louisiana selection at Rayville High School. He finished his senior season with 84 tackles, nine sacks and two fumble recoveries. Johnson earned all-state honors as a junior with 91 tackles, seven sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three blocked punts.

“We are excited that Gerrand has come back home,” Berry said. “I always believed that part of him was a Warhawk. Sometimes you need to go away to confirm your true feelings, and that is what happened with Gerrand.”